A Month in Snowdon
by Moon Fox
Summary: Fluffy fillers/missing scenes set between my fics "Two Sides of the Coin" and "Knave of Hearts" (may expand to include more missing scenes from elsewhere along my current story timeline)
1. Chapter 1 - Feather Bed

_After watching the extremely heartbreaking and romantic scenes in Doctor Who last night I felt inspired to get some romance into my main story line…. But it doesn't fit for the current timeline… so I decided to go back in time a bit and fill in a few places._

_This piece is a missing scene of Merlin and Morgana that takes place between Two Sides of the Coin (after Arthur and the rest leave to go back to Camelot) and Knave of Hearts (where Merlin heads back to Camelot). It would probably be a good thing to at least read Two Sides of a Coin before this to know what's going on._

_Stories here will be pretty much just fluff, and rating may go up if I decide to fill in scenes elsewhere along my main fics timeline._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Morgana had been in the grove with her mother the past two days attempting to reach the memories of her past. They stayed out all night under the night sky with no moon. Vivienne explained that the dark moon time was a void, meant to help clear unwanted or empty spaces. In this case it was Morgana's mind that lay empty and bare. Opening herself up during such an auspicious moon phase would allow the memories to fill as the light filled the moon towards fullness over the next weeks.

She felt hallow and apathetic as she walked back into the keep. Planning on going to straight to what was now her room in the run down fortress; she sent a dark glare at Merlin's enthusiasm when he came upon her.

Watching as he reeled back on his heels for a moment before he tried his approach a bit more subdued. "It will be alright Morgana, I promise. What your mother and I are doing may seem harsh, but it is what you said you wanted. To be able to remember."

She took a breath and her eyes drifted downward to see his hand stretched out towards her, waiting to see if she would take it. "Merlin, I'm so exhausted right now, can this wait please?"

"Just take my hand and come with me," He said pleadingly.

Huffing out a sigh she placed her hand in his, feeling the calloused roughness that still managed to be gentle as he gave an encouraging squeeze. He led her to her room. Morgana rolled her eyes wondering what he was about. Releasing his hand she reached for the door. He stopped her by standing in between.

"You need to close your eyes first," he instructed.

"Really?" She groaned. Seeing that he wasn't planning on moving until she did, Morgana finally assented. She heard the door open and felt him take her hand again. Cautiously she allowed him to lead her into the room and with his hands on her shoulders, he positioned her facing the direction he wanted.

"Alright now, open your eyes."

Doing as he instructed, she wasn't sure what she would see. The sight that greeted her made her breath catch in her throat. Strung from the ceiling all the way to the floor were posts. They were simple raw wood without stain or polish, but they were smooth and sanded. Stretched tight between them was a canvas like the sail cloth from one of the ships in the newly formed port. On top of that was one of the greatest gifts she could ever have imagined.

Her hands were shaking as she reached out and felt what appeared to be a fresh unsoiled mattress. There were two layers to it. The bottom felt like a mixture of straw and wool, while the top thinner layer was the softest feather bed she could have ever dreamed. Even in Camelot she never had the pleasure of a brand new bed.

She couldn't contain the giggles that erupted out of her as she flopped on top of it and spread her arms out, caressing its feathery softness and reveling in the way it melded to her body. It was more than she could have ever imagined. She sat up suddenly and looked at Merlin who was leaning against the doorframe, his face unreadable as he watched her. His blue eyes, dark pools that rarely blinked, and a soft upturn at the corners of his cupid bow lips barely visible through the beard.

"Merlin these beds are expensive… how did you afford such a thing?"

He blinked and smirked, bringing a hand up to rub across his face as if had just been caught doing something wrong and was trying to decide how to get out of it, "Um, Arthur gave me a loan before he headed back to Camelot."

"A loan?" She asked curiously.

"Well, he said it was a gift. Compensation for what his father had done to mine and since I'm technically family he said some of it probably should have been mine anyway. But I still plan to pay him back once the copper starts shipping out of the mine and stuff," Merlin was shuffling his feet, the idea of owing anyone didn't sit well with him.

Morgana pushed herself off the bed and grasped his hands to settle him. Looking up into his eyes with a smile, "Thank you."

The smiled beamed from his face as the apprehension dissolved. Even if he did owe Arthur, it was worth it as she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Get some rest, alright? You deserve it."

She moved backwards towards the bed, drawing him with her, "Come lay with me, you probably need a rest too."

His grin grew for a moment before he caught himself and blushed furiously. Stopping in his tracks he stuttered, "Uh… actually, I…uh… still have some work to do, so you enjoy it. And… uh… let me know how it is alright?" He pulled his hands from hers and quickly made his way out of the room.

Morgana giggled at his shyness and turned back to the bed. She squealed in delight as she threw herself on it again, smiling. She could sense that the bed held more than just feathers, straw and wool. Although he didn't say it, Morgana could feel the magic he had woven into it. Comfort, safety, and perhaps something more...


	2. Chapter 2 - Footsie

_hubby and kid were watching the hockey game so I had a few more minutes to write hehe Enjoy!_

* * *

Merlin's eyes were going crossed from the papers scattered in front of him. In one pile were the recent tallies from the mines, another was the shipping schedule to Caerleon, along with yet another for Lothian. Next to those the costs of what it would take to rebuild more of the keep, along with the hiring of a thatcher for the roof, whose family Morgana wanted to employ to help out with other things around the place. There were sheets of information on the local villages and farms, including the average crops and harvests from the past years.

The entire region was looking at a possible food shortage for the coming winter due to the influx of the men who were engaged in the battle a few weeks before. Merlin realized he might have to see about getting grain and other supplies shipped in, which would cost more gold. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, setting his quill to the side.

He froze as he felt something brush against his boot. Glancing under the table he didn't see anything so he shook his head and picked up the quill again, dipping it into the inkwell as he tried to make the numbers add up.

Just as he was trying to figure a rather difficult equation he felt it again, but this time closer to his ankle. He jumped slightly and shifted his leg, nearly dripping the ink where he didn't want it. Once again there was nothing there.

"Odd…" he commented to himself.

"What's odd?" Morgana asked, sitting across from him, his book of magic in her lap as she skimmed through the pages.

Merlin shook his head, "Oh nothing, just keeps feeling like something is touching my foot."

"Lovely, you have rats in here," She said nonchalantly as she turned the page, not bothering to look up.

Merlin rolled his eyes, "I don't think what I was feeling was a rat."

Green eyes shifted away from the page to look at him. One eyebrow rose in disbelief before she returned her reading.

He grumbled and shifted in his seat, tucking his feet under the chair. Leaning forward on his elbows he sighed and attempted to bring his mind back to the statistics in front of him. He felt a pang of jealousy that Arthur had a whole staff to deal with this issue and he wondered if he should possibly look into hiring someone as well.

"Would you like me to take a look at those?" Morgana asked, smirking from her side of the table.

"No, I need to learn how to do this stuff. I think some days I was a fool to tell Arthur 'I quit'."

She snickered softly, "The grass isn't always greener…"

"Thanks," he deadpanned.

A while later he felt he was finally making progress and turned to the next page. Seeing that it was more detailed than the last, he groaned and stretched in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck and extending his legs.

Higher up on his calf he felt the now too familiar sensation and startled. This time however he was quick enough to see the delicate foot pulling away. "It's you!" he exclaimed.

Morgana looked up innocently, "What's me?"

"You and your… foot!"

"Oh you mean like this?" She stretched her foot over and began caressing from his ankle almost to his knee with her toes. Her eyes never left his face.

Merlin felt a stirring inside of him and tensed at the foreign feeling she was eliciting. Accompanying Gwaine to his various haunts around Camelot, Merlin had experienced tavern wenches trying to get his attention in similar ways, but his reaction to them was different. He felt his heart beating faster and his breath hitched. "Will you stop that?" He pleaded with her.

"Oh come on Merlin, haven't you ever had someone play footsie with you before?"

"Footsie?"

She withdrew her foot and pouted, "You're so naïve."

He knew what it was, but was at a complete loss with how to respond to her. Trying to contain the warmth he felt creeping into his face, he cleared his throat and looked back at the page.

_A few minutes later…_

"Stop it," he said in a light-hearted tone.

She chuckled disbelievingly, "I'm not doing anything."

"Seriously Morgana, how can I concentrate?"

She stood up and closed the book with a snap, "I'm not doing anything, Merlin!"

He stood to face her with a teasing smile, "Oh really then why am I still feeling you playing 'footsie' with me?"

"I'm standing up, how can I be?" She asked incredulously.

Merlin opened his mouth and realized she was right. Slowly he looked down at his boot. "AHH! _Swilte déor!"_

With a final squeak the rat lay dead.

Morgana's eyes were wide as saucers and she looked like she was going to burst from laughter any moment.

Straightening his shirt, Merlin cleared his throat and looked up at Morgana, "I think I'm done working on this for today."


End file.
